J W Lohn, the mayor of San Angelo, TX abruptly resigned this week after recently being elected for another term. It turns out that the mayor’s personal relationship with a non-citizen stood between him and the position. Rather than accept another term in office the mayor made the right decision. He chose to abruptly resign and temporarily move to Mexico where his partner is seeking a visa.

In an interview with the local newspaper, J.W. said he plans to return and live in San Angelo once his partner has legal right to accompany him and reside in the United States.

I would have to say that this seems to be an awkward and difficult personal situation, the keyword being personal. I respect Lohn’s honesty and openness in his personal matters as it relates to his position. His honesty will hopefully avoid San Angelo another national embarrassment like the recent Eldorado FLDS debacle.

The following is a statement from Mayor Lown:

As everyone knows San Angelo has a very special place in my heart. While I know that the timing of this announcement is less than ideal, I have my own compelling reasons for making this decision. I have made thousands of decisions on behalf of our community, and I weighed this decision in the same manner that I approached other decisions. I want to thank the voters, citizens of San Angelo, City Council Members that I have served with, City of San Angelo employees, friends, supporters, and even my detractors. While we sometimes have disagreed on specific issues, we all had the common goal of making San Angelo a better place to live, work,and play. I am currently not in San Angelo, and frankly do not know when I am going to return. However, this is my home and the place that I love and will always be proud of the great City and speak well of our great citizens.

I am sorry that I could not specifically talk to the individuals that have has such a tremendous impact on my life and how I approached the position of Mayor. There are not enough words to express my gratitude to the people who invested a significant amount of their time and expertise in helping me become the best Mayor I could be for our City.

JW Lohn can be reached via email: